Live algae will power these apartments

This 15-apartment housing complex in Hamburg, Germany, is definitely not the first residential building to produce every drip of energy it uses, but the newly completed lime green box is, in fact, the very first to owe its net-zero status to the growth of live algae.

The structure, known as BIK, is armored in panels designed to nurture algae growth, with water, nutrients, and carbon dioxide pumping inside each of the building’s 129 "bioreactors." As the sun shines, the algae photosynthesizes and grows until there’s enough biomass for the structure’s mechanics to convert the residue into energy. The algae system, supplemented by solar panels and ultra-insulating architecture designed to keep indoor temperatures comfortable without using any energy at all, means the creators of BIK, which include Spitterwerk Architects and the global consulting firm ARUP, can loudly boast the building’s complete energy independence.

The panels also provide internal shade and temperature regulation in the warm seasons.